


Turning Back Time

by Lucicelo



Category: Junjou Romantica
Genre: Affection, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Better Communication, Break Up, M/M, Mysticism, Non-Explicit Sex, Psychic Abilities, Time Travel
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-19
Updated: 2020-06-19
Packaged: 2021-03-03 19:28:37
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 15,137
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24800857
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lucicelo/pseuds/Lucicelo
Summary: Kamijou Hiroki's life went into shambles. He lost his promotion at work, Nowaki broke up with him, but at least he had his family to support him. A good deed from a past life, brought a young woman in Hiroki's path and she helped him through helping him go back in time.
Relationships: Kamijou Hiroki/Kusama Nowaki
Comments: 7
Kudos: 36





	Turning Back Time

**Author's Note:**

  * For [KhepiAri](https://archiveofourown.org/users/KhepiAri/gifts).



> It's a crime that I never did a time travel fic throughout my years of shipping Junjou Egoist. This came to me after reading some time travel fics throughout different fandoms.
> 
> I commented about writing this fic around February of 2019. Yeah...I knuckled down and finished it. This became as long as fuck because I kept adding scenes to the damn thing. So, whoever read my old 10k egoist oneshot fic from years back, this surpassed it.
> 
> This is a gift for KhepiAri. I commented this fic idea to you and I sort of...forgot about it lmao You have always commented on my egoist stories and I am grateful for your constant support.
> 
> Thank you all for reading!
> 
> -Lucicelo

Thinking back on his life, Hiroki regretted multiple moments where he proclaimed his pride brought on his bad behavior. The mere idea made him hunch his shoulders in _embarrassment_. The excuse was something an immature child yelled out in order to dim down his own part in the problem. He muttered under his breath about those bratty children, when he acted the same or even worse during certain occasions.

He was an _adult._ A _responsible adult._ Independent and thriving in life. He rented an apartment in a good side of town. His relationship passed the ten year mark. Inconceivable to many of his cousins who assumed he couldn't keep someone to his side for that long.

To his family, they thought he accomplished _all_ his goals and survived well in the hustle and bustle of the city.

It was all a _lie._

His job became _stagnant._ The drive of his early twenties dwindled after years of teaching bored students his material. Just as well, a new face curbed him to the side as the favorite to become a full fledged professor. He remained in the assistant role, while this charming man _usurped_ his place.

He used make up to conceal the dark circles under his eyes from countless sleepless nights. His weight rose from eating shit food from the vending machine and forgetting the bento he grabbed on his way out to work.

Nowaki broke up with him a week prior.

Hiroki spent days in denial. He thought he _dreamed_ that afternoon. In fact, he thought he was in a long draining _nightmare._ Nowaki, the one who promised ever lasting love, told him he fell out of love months ago.

He pinched his hand and the pain solidified his reality.

Nowaki wasn't coming back.

With papers scattered over his kitchen table, Hiroki sipped from his heart patterned mug. He tended to keep it in the cabinet as a memento. He rarely used it. The fear of breaking it caused him to keep it out of sight. Now, he used it almost every single day. It was a reminder of what he used to have.

Noticing the patterned heart mug next to his toaster, Hiroki dug his fingers into his own heart patterned mug. Coffee splashed on the side, wetting the otherwise pristine wooden table.

Nowaki left behind his own matching cup behind.

Hiroki pushed back his chair, taking his cup with him to the sink. He dumped his coffee out of his mug and left it in the sink.

He hurried out of the kitchen and went inside of his bedroom. Almost dropping himself onto the bed, he curled into himself. He didn't make a move to cover himself with his blanket.

* * *

_Hiroki ignored the signs of Nowaki's distant behavior._

_Having gone through the last month preparing for finals, he placed all his focus on his work and block away anyone who attempted to speak to him. The stress of his job made him slump into his bed and ignore everyone in order to recharge._

_Throughout that month, he didn't realize Nowaki didn't attempt to kiss him or acknowledge him. Half the time, they ended up nodding at one another as the other one ran out the door. With their busy schedules, it made sense that they didn't have anytime to spend with one another._

_One night during dinner, Hiroki made a quick broiled fish, rice and miso soup. He found some time after grading papers to prepare a meal. He made a bit extra in case Nowaki came home in time. Not that he ever did. Nowaki accepted any overtime hours and didn't give himself a break. Almost as if he didn't want to return to an empty home._

_To his shock, Nowaki arrived home from work. Hiroki plated another serving of food and placed it on the table. He yelled a welcome back to Nowaki who uttered I'm back. He sounded shocked at hearing him home. Hiroki shook his head in amusement. He would have reacted the same way._

_Hiroki expected a kiss or even a hug, but Nowaki walked past him and sat at the table. Finding it odd, Hiroki tried not to let it get to him. Maybe, Nowaki was tired from work._

_While they ate dinner, Nowaki dropped a bombshell. "Hiro-san, let's break up."_

_Hiroki's grip slacked, bringing his chopsticks to land onto the table. Looking toward Nowaki, he observed Nowaki to catch him in his lie. The man who proclaimed to love him forever was joking. He had to be joking._

_"This is no time to joke-"_

_"I'm **not** joking."_

_Hiroki stiffened at Nowaki's firm and final tone._

_"I'm done." Nowaki licked his lips as he looked down at his food. "I'll move out at the end of the month and hand you the fee for breaking my side of the lease. It is your choice if you want to stay."_

_Hiroki slammed his hands on the table before he stood up. "H-How can you be so nonchalant? Were you fucking someone behind my- "_

_"No." Nowaki shook his head. "I fell out of love. That's all."_

_Hiroki tensed. "Fell out of love?"_

_"Yeah," Nowaki looked down at the table with pained eyes. "I haven't felt anything for months now. Trust me, I don't want us to end-"_

_"Then,_ don't."

 _"But, we are not compatible anymore. At least, I don't feel like we are on the same wavelength. And to answer your earlier accusation, I have_ never _cheated on you. Be assured that I haven't touched another person while I was with you."_

_Hiroki lost his appetite for his meal._

_Nowaki finished his dinner before he got up from the table and washed his dishes._

_Hiroki remained at the table in disbelief. Nowaki didn't take back his words. He was serious._

_"I'll leave by the end of the month." Nowaki informed him before he left the kitchen._

* * *

_He turned his face away when Nowaki passed him on his way to the front door. The movers removed every box with the label Kusama Nowaki out of the apartment without issue. It was an easier removal than their initial move to this apartment because Hiroki's books were a task on their own. This time, Nowaki removed his clothing, his shoes, and anything of value to him._

_Nowaki completed his promise in leaving at the end of the month. No, he ended up cutting it short to two weeks later. Nowaki didn't hesitate in finding himself a new apartment and found one with a decent deal according to overhearing Nowaki's pleased comments. Hiroki didn't ask Nowaki about the location of the apartment._

_Due to their shifting schedules, Nowaki managed to pack everything in boxes without the awkwardness of Hiroki being in the apartment. Hiroki returned to more and more boxes. The reality of Nowaki leaving his life set in when he saw a check for the broken lease on the counter._

_Gulping, he waited for Nowaki to give one last plea. Another vouch for them to return together and to stop Nowaki from walking out the door for one last time. It didn't occur to him to have asked for couples counseling, for him to make this last leap of faith._

_Anything for Nowaki to see that he wants to try. Their decade together had to mean something to him._

_Nowaki closed the door shut._

_Hiroki's stomach **plummeted** through the floor at the clicking sound._

_Turning his head toward the entryway, he heard Nowaki's retreating footsteps. He opened his mouth, wanting to yell at him to come back. His throat closed up and he remained planted in place._

* * *

Hiroki concealed his breakup from Miyagi to save himself the headache. His usual grouchy behavior concealed his devastation of having lost his best friend _and_ lover. Despite seeing Akihiko as an old friend, Nowaki became his best friend after going through different facets of their relationship. Yet, the last year proved that they didn't go past this latest hurdle.

He almost lost _everything._

Had his family cast him out for his orientation, he wouldn't have handled the _devastation._ Good thing his parents were open minded in their views. After the whole omiai debacle, they didn't hesitate in urging him to bring Nowaki to meet them.

With Nowaki's reveal, his mother _hinted_ on a family reunion. She wanted to see the man who loved her son just as much as them. It wasn't a possibility anymore. Hiroki didn't have the strength to face them. Well, to face his father and tell them the truth.

Nowaki broke up with him.

He thought work would turn into a safe haven. Even if he yelled at his students, his focus would stray away from Nowaki and into literature. He received decent discussions from students whenever he found a decent enough novel to bring out the brave ones out of his group.

To add more bad luck, work didn't become a distraction.

Whenever he encountered his fellow professors, they clamored over the new assistant. They loved having this bright eyed young man follow orders and fit right into their tight circle. Hiroki original denials of their invitations came to bite him later on in the years. None of them bothered to include him in _anything,_ not when he kept a solitary existence. Miyagi insisted on pulling him into his shenanigans all the time.

Then again, Miyagi saw him as a friend. They were not just office buddies who saw each other on work days. Their lives intertwined to where the personal came into discussions in the office. Hiroki couldn't get rid of him if he tried.

But, Hiroki didn't want him to look at him with pity in his eyes.

During his lunchtime, Hiroki pushed himself to go into the literature departments break room. He didn't want to feel boxed into his own office so he went with his lunch and sat on one of the window seats. Looking through his phone, he overheard the finalization over the new assistant's promotion.

Peering up, Hiroki saw the head of the literature department chatting with some of the tenured professors. Hunching his shoulders, Hiroki listened in as the man said there was no reason to delay this promotion. The man's line of work, his student accolades, and published works, made him a prime candidate to become a certified professor.

Hiroki's chest _clenched._

Shuffling everything in his half eaten bento, he left the room. Maybe his superiors saw him, maybe they didn't. In his adrenaline state of mind, he cared little for their platitudes.

He rushed into his office with determination. Not even caring to spare Miyagi a glance, he grabbed his work for the day and shoved them into his bag.

Miyagi tried to call out for him, but Hiroki ran out of the room without looking back.

* * *

Merging back into his family brought on a new set of problems for Hiroki. They always asked questions that parents, well, mother's, asked their children. The unrelenting line of questions about his _special_ person and when there would be an exchange of introductions. Hiroki's stomach stayed in a constant state of nausea from the very thought.

When his mother asked about Nowaki, Hiroki confessed after an unnecessary long pause. "He broke up with me six months ago."

Fuyumi paused in taking a sip from her tea. Lowering her saucer onto her plate, she laid her hands onto her lap. " _O-Oh_. Honey, I'm so sorry."

Soshi furrowed his brows. "A year ago, you declined our marriage prospects because of this _special_ person."

Hiroki dug his fingers into his slacks, snapping at his father brought arguments. He didn't want to _sour_ their reunion through a shouting match. "He...didn't believe I loved him enough to stay."

Soshi scoffed. "Bull." Hiroki turned to him with a resigned frown. "You're a private and prideful man. You inherited my own faults while inheriting your mother's big heart. There is no way this person didn't realize your love for him."

Hiroki shook his head. "I guess not."

Soshi breathed through his nose and said nothing more.

Fuyumi reached out her hand and clasped Hiroki's trembling one. "Sweetheart, I understand you're going through a rough time right now. You don't have to put up a front with us. You can come home for a bit and spent time with us."

"I won't be a bother?"

"Of course not." Fuyumi assured Hiroki with a smile. "Do you have time to spare from work?"

Hiroki clenched his teeth at the mention of work. He breathed through his nose before he answered her. "Yes, I can call off some days. We're in the middle of the semester, I can just cancel the classes."

Fuyumi beamed. "Good. We can get onto baking and taking trips out of town. We haven't had a vacation in so long." She looked toward her husband with a smile. "Of course, you can spare time? Right, dear?"

Soshi coughed into his hand and averted his eyes. "I can make a call to my vice president. He'll handle the brunt of the calls while Hiroki is here."

"Great!"

Hiroki snorted at the sight of his father caving to his mother. He faced his father's glare head-on without an issue.

Ever since he was small, he witnessed a healthy, loving relationship between his parents. Whenever he peeked in on their private moments, his parents held each others hands while sharing a brief kiss. At times, they sat down in the kitchen to drink a cup of tea while his father spoke about his day.

Which was why Hiroki was confused when his parents sent him photos of arranged marriage partners. His parents were a _love match._ They ignored the whispers from the Kamijou family who thought his father would chose a woman of his same social bracket.

Hiroki saw it for what it was.

His parents wanted to get his attention. Considering he spent years not speaking to them, they got their wish in pushing him to pick up a phone. When he called them, he heard his father's amusement as he explained his mother's plan.

Guilt pooled _heavy_ in his stomach.

He was such an awful son to them.

He thought he would have a similar or close relationship to his parents when he grew up. In fact, he thought his relationship with Nowaki was on the right path to what he saw as a child. A loving relationship where both partners respected and loved one another.

Yet, he didn't see the cracks of the foundation of their relationship to even have a chance to save it.

* * *

As Hiroki walked through the streets, something lured him out of the crowded busy streets of Tokyo. Through his slump of sadness, he didn't question the detour or the fact he went off his usual path on his way back home. Turning into the clean alleyway, he lost himself in his thoughts while dragging his feet forward. It was becoming harder to deal with these hard hits. Different facets of his life crumbled before his eyes. If he had lost his parents, he wouldn't have the strength to get up in the morning.

After checking his savings and finances, Hiroki made the decision on taking a break from Mitsuhashi. Months after Nowaki broke up with him, he broke the lease and rented a cheaper apartment. His savings rose from the move, giving him the opportunity to take a leave of absence. Besides, Miyagi handled his classes without issue and wished him good luck in his mini vacation.

Miyagi's suggestive wink made Hiroki's stomach drop through his feet. He shoved Miyagi aside and rolled his eyes. Acting like normal became easy for him to do. No one noticed any different.

Stumbling through the alleyways, Hiroki's cared little if his lunch kept hitting his leg. It might have opened up and spilled the contents, but he would still eat it. He spent the money to grab it from the convenience store. He couldn't start throwing away food.

When Hiroki turned the corner, he faced a brightly decorated fortune teller's stand. From the gaudy decorations to the obnoxious colors, Hiroki through his eyes burned from the sight. Narrowing his eyes, he searched around the area for an alternative route. He found nothing. The whole stand blocked his main exit out of the alley way.

Sighing, he walked on closer to the stand and saw a figure dressed in a heavy cloak. He wanted to roll his eyes at the clichés, but kept his mouth shut.

"Good afternoon," A clear and demure voice reached Hiroki's ears. "I've been waiting for you."

Hiroki breathed through his nose to control his initial words. "Oh really?"

"Yes." The woman lifted the cloak back to reveal her jade green eyes. "A pleasure to meet you, my name is Arina."

Hiroki clenched his take out bag. No use being impolite. "I'm-"

"Kamijou Hiroki." Arina interrupted him. Embarrassed, she covered her mouth. "My apologies, I tend to forget control and slip."

Hiroki stepped back.

"Oh, don't worry. I'm just a psychic." Arina reassured him. "I'm not a stalker or anything. I tend to find out information from people without meaning to. Sometimes, I blab whatever is on my mind and expose my secret."

Hiroki sighed. "Okay then, what happened to me recently?"

Arina tilted her head to the side. "Do you mean the overlook in promotion or your lover breaking up with you?"

Hiroki flinched. _"Fuck._ "He muttered under his breath.

Arina added in. "You were right in leaving that apartment complex you lived in. A fire broke out on the apartment below that would have killed you in your sleep. It's in the news if you don't believe me."

"No. No, I believe you." Hiroki shook his head. "W-What else do you want to tell me?"

Without hesitation, she informed him. "There is a chance for you to get back together with Kusama Nowaki."

"Yeah right." Hiroki rolled his eyes. "It is done and over with. He will never want to come back in my life. I don't blame him." Bitterness came through in his words. "I kept pushing him away and didn't cherish him the way he deserved."

Arina hummed. "Yes, you caused rifts, but Kusama-san never thought to communicate his own concerns. He learned to keep his feelings locked inside because of his upbringing. While you, built up a wall to separate your true feelings from him. Your anxiety of laying out your feelings caused _frictions._ The physical chemistry was _perfect_ , but this doesn't make a relationship last for the long run."

Hiroki breathed through his nose. "I know. The communication was _shit."_

Arina smiled light. "But, you want him back in your life. Right?"

Hiroki averted his eyes. "It's been a year. Looking for him seems ridiculous at this point. I don't want to find out that he's moved on from me. He can easily find someone else to love him. Better than I ever did."

Arina's smile faltered. "Now, now, putting all the blame on yourself never solves a thing. Surely, you learned exactly why your relationship failed."

Hiroki furrowed his brows. "Yes. I know why. A lot of it was from a bit of both of us. I mean-"

"Exactly." Arina motioned her hands around her crystal ball. _"Both_ of you made mistakes. Placing everything on your shoulders does nothing more than to hold you back. There is a way to make it all a reality."

Hiroki crossed his arms over his chest. "Don't tell me, you're talking about wiping way his memory? I wouldn't go for anything you're telling me that takes away his ability to consent."

"Oh no. Nothing like that. Influencing the mind never goes to plan and everyone loses in the end." Arina told him. "I'm talking about _time travel_."

"Time travel?" Hiroki turned away from her in having wasted his time speaking to her. "Now, I know that's some supernatural shit I don't want to be a part of. I-"

Arina interjected. "Wouldn't it be great to start from the beginning? To grasp Kusama Nowaki's heart and to never give him a reason to leave you? To prevent the gap between yourself and your oldest friend? Haven't you ever wondered, what if?" Hiroki flinched and looked over his shoulder. She let out a sigh. "Think about it. You have a one in a lifetime opportunity. Many individuals have lost _the one_ through various reasons and you may relive it once more."

Hiroki looked down at his scuffed out shoes, panicking at her words. She saw right _through_ him. "Why do you want to help me? What do you get out of this?"

Arina chuckled. "Think of it as a paid favor from one of your past lives."

Hiroki snapped his head up. "Past life?"

Arina looked at him fondly. "You saved me a few lifetimes ago from an arranged marriage. I _saw_ my life ending in suicide had I gone through with that marriage, but my father insisted on the transaction. Yet, you stole me during the night and took me to my sweetheart. I swore up until my death that I would repay you."

Hiroki rubbed the back of his neck and hunched his shoulders. "Knowing me, I probably didn't ask for compensation."

"You're correct." Arina beamed. "Which is why, I kept an eye out for your essence through each of my lifetimes. And when I felt your devastation, I knew I wanted to help reunite you with your _the one."_

Hiroki asked. "And your _the one?"_

Arina lifted up her left hand and showed off a dainty wedding ring. "We tend to bump into each other throughout our lifetimes. Our souls are too intertwined to avoid each other for long." She curled her finger to prompt Hiroki to walk closer to her. "Now, let's get this started."

* * *

Waking up to sunlight hitting his face, Hiroki rolled on his side and cuddled against his sheets. He tended to wake up a minute or two before his alarm, which gave him time to wake up on his own terms. After years on the same schedule, he never changed his alarms on his phone unless he set one up for a nap during his lunch.

The overwhelming smell of old books caused his eyebrows to furrow. He didn't remember falling asleep near his books. In fact, he placed his bed in the living room to limit books falling on him. The last time an earthquake happened, he woke up to books landing on his stomach. He missed one book that almost landed on his head as he got up to stabilize himself. He spent that weekend rearranging his books and moving his bed from his own bedroom.

Either way, Hiroki didn't mind sleeping in the living room. He didn't receive visitors to warrant a couch so his bed because his couch. Since he made his reappearance in his family, his cousins might interrupt his life with their presence. His mother's side of the family would pounce at the chance to bother him.

The nagging feeling of curiosity pushed him to open his eyes.

Staring up at the ceiling, he realized his ceiling wasn't white. There was wooden paneling. He remembered the indentations he made when he got mad enough to throw his books in the ceiling. A drunken binge after a terrible grade from a professor.

This was his old _college_ apartment.

Sitting up on his bed, Hiroki checked around the room. From the small square feet of space to the overabundance of books he kept around the area, a sense of nostalgia hit him in the chest. Moving his legs over the side of the bed, he stood up on his feet, barely missing a stack of books he left on the floor.

He wandered throughout his apartment, almost wistful in going through memory lane. As a young adult, he remained stubborn in keeping this apartment in order to save up a majority of his stipend from his parents. They wanted him to focus on studying, not working himself into exhaustion because he needed the money. Nowaki didn't have such a thing. He remembered his tired face and insistence in paying for his services, but he _firmly_ denied his money.

Hiroki entered the kitchen and saw a bag full of empty beer bottles. He shook his head in amusement. He was the usual university student who drank himself into a puking stupor. It was through pure stubborness that he woke up early and attended his classes with a grimace stuck on his face.

His reckless drinking did a number on him later on in life.

A wonder Nowaki didn't sit him down on an intervention for better healthy habits. Of course, Hiroki hid the results of his doctor's visits to spare Nowaki the trouble in giving him advice. He received more than enough from his previous doctor who minced no words in his overall health.

Stopping in the middle of the living room slash bedroom, Hiroki's knees buckled and he fell to the floor. He dug his fingers into his pajama pants as reality set in. Arina sent him back in time. She did it. _She did it._

He returned to his young body.

"I'm back." Hiroki's voice trembled as he covered his face with his hands. "I'm _back_." He let his grief consume him and he cried his heart out.

* * *

After going through five different passwords from the past, Hiroki unlocked his old cellphone. Grimacing at the outdated interface, he went through the contents to reinmmerse himself with his old college self. He rolled his eyes at the generic book wallpaper he picked out from a search engine. Remembering Akihiko's comments about his boring wallapers, he downloaded a photo of books and set it up as his wallpaper. He changed it to a photo of himself and his cousins. Then, changed the lock screen to his parents.

Looking through his text messages, he rubbed his temples at the curt and tense responses he sent to his parents. In the future, he reestablished his relationship with his parents and visited them on a constant basis. His parents were surprised that he spoke to them without prompting. Their reaction caused Hiroki to hide his cringing of regret, he messed up without meaning to.

They welcomed him back with open arms and comforted him after his failed relationship. His parents knew him from the inside out. Their opinions _mattered_ to him, but he did a disservice in his feelings toward them. He missed his father's sarcastic remarks and his mother's tender hugs whenever he visited them. He _regretted_ having distanced himself from them.

"I was such an obnoxious little shit." Hiroki sent a quick good morning message to both of his parents. "What was I thinking? I wasn't cool for not speaking to my family. None of them did anything to me or even pissed me off during this time." He smiled at the fast reponse from his mother which included plenty of smiling faces. They ended up in a back and forth exchange which lasted a few minutes.

At the end of it, Hiroki promised to go home for a weekend at the end of the semester.

His mother's barrage of smiling faces made him huff in fondness.

Checking his college email, he noted a variety of group projects and messages to his college professors. Nothing _too_ off. He didn't remember the projects, but he knew his assignments were finished in his laptop.

A barrage of question marks from Akihiko brought Hiroki to click on the message. Rereading their exchange, his stomach plunged when he read the message he sent Akihiko: _Can we meet? I need you to do something for me._

This one message _ruined_ his friendship with Akihiko.

Ever since they slept together, a silent awkwardness stuck to them for years to come. They didn't talk for weeks before Takahiro voiced a get together. On that night, they went through stiff smiles while Takahiro remained _oblivious._ Their previous one armed hugs and became _nonexistent._ Anytime they tried talked about it, Akihiko changed the subject and gave him a tired glance.

Eventually, Hiroki never spoke of it again.

Akihiko disclosed some of his life, but didn't place his old level of trust in him anymore. They returned to their own individual lives and it seemed all they ever did was catch up. Akihiko teased him over Nowaki, while Hiroki kept his mouth shut over Akihiko's tenant. He always found the relationship a bit odd, but what did he know. He did his own questionable actions in his younger years, no need to judge his _friend._

Hiroki revealed this secret a few years into his relationship with Nowaki. He thought it didn't matter anymore. Hiroki made light of the situation and ignored Nowaki's uncomfortable body language. Nowaki forced himself to smile, assuring him of not feeling any feelings over the situation.

Hiroki should have known better.

There were secrets that were meant to be _hidden._

He knew of Nowaki's jealousy over Akihiko and managed to calm it down. It took time, but Nowaki buried those feelings of insecurity and became cordial with Akihiko. Nowaki didn't have any bad feelings toward Akihiko. Then, he laid out that _bombshell._

He was so _stupid._

He typed Akihiko a message of how he was in a drunken stupor when he sent his question. Akihiko knew of his senseless drinking and wouldn't think anything of his message. Although, the surprise of his well worded message might bring a good level of sarcasm.

Akihiko sent him a message back: _Oh_? _Did you need me to hold your hair back on the next drinking binge?_

He snorted at Akihiko's sarcastic response.

Tossing the phone onto his bed, he got up onto his feet and stretched up his arms. These little changes might not do much, but his guilty conscious was _gone._ There were many things he needed to fix and this was only the beginning.

* * *

Sitting on the park bench, Hiroki's concentration left the book on his lap. He brought it along to distract himself from the possibility of seeing _Nowaki._ He needed something to ground him to Earth and not overthink scenarios about messing up their first meeting. He became hyperaware of his surroundings as he reread the same line.

Over and over again.

The image of the story dissipated to present Nowaki's face. Hiroki put the book down on his lap and rubbed his eyes. Days after coming back and fixing his family ties, he imagined Nowaki meeting his parents when they gathered free time.

He had to find him first.

The park was the one place Hiroki thought to look for him. There was no other place. He forgot about Nowaki's part time jobs to warrant searching for him.

Honestly, he forgot the exact date, but he remembered it landed on the week he slept with Akihiko. Nowaki might not even go to the park that day. It might be the next day. If anything else, he got fresh air and sun hitting his skin. Whenever he dove into his projects, he locked himself into his apartment and resurfaced with pale skin.

With his purpose in mind, he left his apartment and spent a majority of his morning on that bench. The anticipation ruined _any_ semblance of peace.

Overwhelmed with emotion, Hiroki felt a building pressure in his eyes. He tried blinking back his tears, but it was no use. His tears trickled down his face. Any plans of seeing Nowaki without red eyes was gone.

Humiliated, Hiroki covered his face with his hands and hunched over. "Damn it."

The rustling of leaves caused Hiroki to freeze.

"Excuse me, are you alright?"

After a year apart, he remembered Nowaki's _voice._

Lifting up his head, Hiroki looked into Nowaki's blue eyes and time seemed to stop.

Nowaki stepped forward to touch Hiroki's hand. "Do you need help?"

Yanking his hand back, Hiroki choked out another sob. "D-Don't touch me."

Nowaki paused in front of him, concern clear on his face. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to bother you, I'll just-"

 _"Stay,"_ Hiroki hunched his shoulders to hide his crying face from Nowaki's gaze.

Despite the embarrassment of being caught crying _again_ , he knew he wouldn't have any other means of contacting Nowaki. During this time, Nowaki visited his apartment and he never got to know his true address. Nowaki made the leap between them in the beginning stages which staggered on throughout their ten year relationship. Hiroki put in his part, but Nowaki did most of the grand gestures.

Hiroki controlled himself before he lifted up his head. Staring into Nowaki's face, he saw no judgement on his expression. Just like he remembered, Nowaki didn't judge him. He was sympathetic to whatever event happened in his life. No matter what, Nowaki was _genuine._

Nowaki asked him. "If you're comfortable to tell a stranger, is everything alright?"

"Bad week." Hiroki lied through his teeth. More like a _bad year_. "Everything has.. become stressful in my life and I haven't taken it well. I bottled up my feelings and this walk...made it easier for my body to disobey me."

Nowaki reached out his hand and patted Hiroki's knee. "I have had these sort of days as well. Life is so beautiful, but we also suffer under such beauty." He grasped onto Hiroki's hand again. "Will you come along with me to a small get together. Maybe, that will keep whatever is bothering you out of your mind?"

Hiroki used his other hand to rub his face. "I'm a mess."

Nowaki smiled light as he assured Hiroki. "My friends won't comment on it. I can tell them that you went through a harsh breakup. Yamada-san just divorced his wife and needed a pick me up. You just have to create a person and roll with it."

Hiroki shut his eyes and kept his head down. "I can't lie." Making up another person to replace Nowaki was unheard of. "It would be-" He gulped. "I-I'm in university. I'll make up a lie about a paper. I tend to stress about those..."

Nowaki squeezed his hand. "Perfect."

* * *

Reenacting the small party of business men alongside Nowaki, Hiroki made a better impression to speak to all the men while sipping his beer. As the only son of a businessman, he introduced himself as Kamijou Soshi's son. The businessmen began asking him questions about his father and his business, further distracting him from having to speak to Nowaki. Although, he felt Nowaki's eyes on him whenever he returned from flying his rocket into the sky.

Hiroki handed his father's business cards and received ones in return. He recognized some as future contenders in the business world which his father shook hands with. Even if many of these men were not in the same industry, Kamijou Soshi kept an ear out to different business men.

Besides, Hiroki used to help his father categorize his business cards. Might as well update them with any new ones he managed to gather while in university. His father would appreciate the new business prospects.

The conversation inevitably went toward Hiroki's university. He recalled the difficulty of the classes and described his major. He ignored any judgmental faces over his literature degree to answer more questions. These old men took the opportunity to release their curiosity and Hiroki was tipsy enough to answer them all.

Once the topics changed onto tutoring, Hiroki went on a tangent.

"Ha! I used to tutor a ton of idiots back in high school." Hiroki swayed as he lifted his beer. His new body didn't have the tolerance of his _older_ body. "They wasted my damn time. Even though their parents paid top yen for my time, they thought I would do all their work for them. A wonder how they managed to get into university such shit drive."

One of the men piped up. "Why don't you tutor Wa-chan?"

"Yeah! He learned real fast during his time in my company and would not waste your time." Another one beamed as he clapped Nowaki's mortified back. "He's thinking of going back to school. Poor guy doesn't know where to start."

The first man nodded his head. "I would help, but it's been decades since my children were in school. The curriculum probably changed at this point."

Nowaki's face went bright red at their comments. "Everyone, please, don't bother Kamijou-san with my problems. He surely has better-"

Hiroki finished the last of his beer and set down the can onto the blanket. "I don't mind." He looked into Nowaki's eyes and forced himself to keep eye contact. "Are you serious about going back to school?"

Nowaki's blush went darker. "Yes."

Hiroki shuffled his phone out of his pocket and handed it to Nowaki. "You have one chance. Got it."

* * *

Hiroki collapsed on his bed as he recalled his _first meeting_ with Nowaki. His face still burned in embarrassment for his tipsy rant that pushed the events of their meetings. It was _affective._ But, Hiroki cringed at a good portion of what he said. This was why he didn't drink during the daytime.

He spouted _stupidity._

Hiroki rolled onto his stomach and chuckled.

Nowaki used to tease him whenever he got drunk. His drunken comments ranged from complimenting Nowaki or debating about a book he read. Of course, he denied it. Until, Nowaki recorded him a few times and showed him the next morning.

This time, Hiroki would welcome Nowaki into his twenties with a drunken night. At his original age, Hiroki swore off clubs and bars. From the loud sounds to college students constant bar hopping, Hiroki didn't want to bump into his own students. He'd rather drink in the comfort of his own home. He could pass out on the floor without someone walking him up to kick him out.

An idea popped into his head. He would have to cut back on the drinking to film Nowaki. A bit petty on his part, but he always wanted to record Nowaki being drunk. Nowaki teased him more than enough times for him to have his moment of revenge.

He had two years to go through with it.

It was interesting how the events unfolded this time around. In the past, Nowaki approached him for tutoring, even followed him when he left the park. Hiroki never understood why Nowaki didn't just ask him at the party. Then again, it was improper to ask favors during a get together.

This time, Nowaki's old bosses came together to boost up Nowaki as a _model_ _employee_ and possible _excellent_ student. Nowaki's red face and sputtering denials showed a whole different side to Nowaki. Hiroki knew this Nowaki was insecure about his worth and would stop at nothing to prove himself.

In Hiroki's opinion, Nowaki didn't have to prove himself. He showed his potential in his time line and would do the same again. This young man would mature into a capable doctor who loved his job. Hiroki was ready to help him achieve his goals again.

He was handed an opportunity to return to Nowaki's life. Any excuse to hear his voice and bask in his _presence._ To hear Nowaki address him as Hiro-san would bring him to tears.

Having experienced their tutoring sessions in the past, he knew Nowaki was a model student. Hiroki saw no issues when he tutored him. He completed his own classwork and looked over Nowaki's perfect scores.

Reaching out, Hiroki grabbed his phone and looked through his messages. He rolled over on his stomach and snorted at the number of messages his mother sent him. Whenever something happened in the family, his mother never failed to send him something. Hiroki answered without issue.

All of a sudden, Nowaki text messaged him his different job schedules.

As he calculated the proper times and days, Hiroki smiled. It was exactly the same as last time. He wrote back the time schedules which earned him an old fashioned smiley face.

* * *

Without Nowaki stealing his key, Hiroki opened his door to a smiling Nowaki. Before him, Nowaki appeared in a buttoned up shirt that shaped his body well. Hiroki couldn't stop staring. He vaguely remembered Nowaki wore a black turtleneck when he broke into his house. Even if Nowaki woke him up from his sleep with breakfast, Hiroki found his actions a little creepy.

Nowaki walked in with a bounce in his step. He said the usual phrases when entering a home while he shuffled off his shoes. Nowaki was polite enough to place them on Hiroki's shoe rack instead of kicking them to the side. He even handed Hiroki a bag full of fruit from one of his jobs.

"Come in." Hiroki maneuvered out the way as he clenched the bag in his hands.

Nowaki managed to avoid a stack of books with a laugh. "When you said you had books everywhere, you mean _everywhere!"_

Hiroki closed the door with a blush. "Yeah. I tend to go overboard in research. My current projects got me to buy more books than usual." He used his foot to move different piles aside that he knew had to go into storage. "I have to send them back home at some point."

"You have to be careful. One day, you'll be buried under these books, Kamijou-san." Nowaki maneuvered to the low rise table and sat down on the floor.

Hiroki muttered under his breath, "It already happened." He hurried into the kitchen and placed the fruit on the counter. Turning around, he went into the living room and to catch Nowaki unzipping his backpack and took out different notebooks. After that, he removed a pencil case with multiple pencils of random brands.

Hiroki mused. "You came prepared."

Nowaki nodded his head. "Well, you said to take this seriously."

"Good." Hiroki picked a random side of his low rise and sat down on his ass. "Today, I'm going to give you multiple quizzes to check your comprehension on the subjects."

Nowaki sucked in air. "Um... is it going to be hard?"

Leaning back, Hiroki grabbed the folder which contained the quizzes and placed them on the table. "Don't worry. I'm sure your middle school gave you peeks of first year material before your graduation. I just want to test how much you know before I tutor you."

Hiroki opened the folder and removed a few papers. He removed the sticky note from the last one which separated those from the newer quizzes. Once they settled on a schedule, Hiroki went ahead and compiled different quizzes of various levels. He made sure to keep information on pediatrics as well. Nowaki would change his mind from social work before the actual testing.

Although, Hiroki worried that this diversion of events would change Nowaki's motivations. Originally, Nowaki wanted to go into social work. After some time, Nowaki claimed that he wanted to do more to help children and thought medicine would suit him better.

This time around, Nowaki was pushed into his lap through those old men.

Maybe, Nowaki wouldn't find it in himself to study his hardest. Nowaki might not even find him attractive enough to be with him. Even if Arina claimed Nowaki was _his one_ , Hiroki didn't know what lured Nowaki into his path. An ugly crying face would deter _anyone_ from getting in their way.

Then again, he shouldn't question such things. Nowaki knew the real reason he fell for him and never disclosed it to him. Hiroki hoped it wasn't the fact he saw him crying in a park.

That was just pitiful.

Nowaki licked his lips. "I tried studying using other orphans booklets once their year was over. I think I managed to learn from the booklets since no one wanted to teach me anything. I'm not sure I recollected everything properly."

"Which is why," Hiroki slid the papers towards Nowaki. "You're going to take these. I compiled a variety of easy and difficult questions. If you can't answer one, then we will discuss it after I pinpoint your starting point. Since, you said you sort of studied, maybe you will remember of them."

Nowaki removed a pencil from his case with a hesitant smile. "Does it matter how long I take?"

Hiroki shrugged his shoulders. "You're the one that has to work in the morning. You can take as long as you want." He grabbed a novel from a pile and opened it up. "You can begin."

* * *

On the next tutoring session, Hiroki cleaned up his apartment to reveal more of his floor. He boxed up his books and positioned them in an empty area away from his bed. After having texted his parents over delivering his books to them, they agreed without issue. His mom agreed to stay home for the day of the delivery and use his childhood room as the base for his books. At least, he wouldn't worry about someone misplacing them if his mother kept an eye on things.

Once he finished texting his mom, he went through other boxes and found old photos of himself and his family. In his freshman year, he packed them on the foresight of homesickness. He never displayed the portraits of his family. One contained him and his mostly female cousins from his mother's side. Another showed him with his mother's brothers. The Kamijou side of the family were in formal wear. The main photo with the best frame, showed himself with his parents.

After wiping down different surfaces, he positioned these portraits around his apartment. They didn't go in matter of importance. Although, he placed the one with his parents on the desk beside his bed.

When Nowaki arrived, Hiroki motioned the table before he went to the kitchen. "Do you want iced tea?"

Nowaki answered. "Yes, thank you!" He slumped onto the floor and removed his booklets from his backpack. "I managed to finish the booklets before I left for my shift this morning."

Hiroki entered left the kitchenette with two bottles of iced tea. "You didn't lose sleep did you?"

"Oh no, nothing like that." Nowaki waved it off. "I woke up before my alarm rang and thought it best to finish the last booklet before I left for work. It wasn't too hard to finish." When Hiroki handed him the bottle, he thanked him.

Hiroki snorted. "Show off."

Nowaki chuckled. "You're a great teacher, Hiro-san."

As expected, Nowaki completed his assignments with one hundred percent accuracy. Hiroki didn't know if Nowaki studied hard before these tutoring sessions or was a quick learner. To his relief, Nowaki didn't puff out his chest in arrogance. He smiled sheepishly before turning his attention back to his booklets.

Hiroki sat down on his usual spot and worked on his own homework.

After a few hours passed, Hiroki called for a break. Nowaki volunteered to make them dinner out of anything in Hiroki's fridge. Hiroki didn't argue against him. Nowaki _never_ failed to impress him with his cooking. He couldn't wait.

From inside the kitchenette, Nowaki exclaimed in delight. "Hiro-san! You went grocery shopping?!"

Hiroki thanked his foresight in shopping earlier that week. "Yeah."

Nowaki peeked his head into the living room. "Should I make a beef stir fry or a quick salmon donburi?"

Hiroki's mouth watered at the sound of either option. "Uh...beef stir fry?"

"Excellent!" Nowaki returned into the kitchen and Hiroki heard the sounds of water flowing.

Hiroki paused in looking through his homework. He couldn't concentrate on editing his own essay. His mind wandered back to memories of Nowaki cooking special meals for them. Sometimes, Hiroki waited on their island counter and watched Nowaki cook. They shared brief kisses as Nowaki talked about anything with pure delight.

Instead of feeling despair, he felt _light hearted_ at the memories. This new opportunity changed many aspects of his life. His family reentered his life, his best friends were secured, and his lover followed the same path as before.

The previous pressures of his past didn't follow him to his new present.

He was a _new_ Kamijou Hiroki.

Nowaki's heavy footsteps broke Hiroki from his thoughts.

"I found chili flakes in your pantry so I added a sprinkle for some kick.

Hiroki snapped his head toward Nowaki. "I don't mind. I like spicy food." He noticed Nowaki looking beyond him as he sat down the plates of food.

"Are those your parents?" Nowaki inquired.

Hiroki drooled over Nowaki's great cooking as he uttered. "Yeah. Married for about...twenty-five years." He scooted the food closer to him. He didn't realize how much he missed Nowaki's cooking.

Nowaki commented. "You look so much like your father. Same frown. Same brown eyes." Hiroki snorted. "But, you get your eye shape and coloring from your mother. She's beautiful, you know."

Hiroki looked up from his food and turned his gaze toward Nowaki. He saw a yearning in those eyes over seeing his family portrait. Nowaki always wanted to have a family of his own. A whole army of adopted kids to love and cherish. Even in the future, the rules of gay men adopting kids was _non-existent_ in Japan.

Nowaki would have _loved_ interacting with his female cousins children. His Kamijou side would sneer at Nowaki's presence, but those kids might overlook their parents comments to interact with him. Kids flocked to Nowaki due to his open aura and easy going attitude. Due to Hiroki's reservations, he prevented Nowaki from forming personal connections with his family members.

As much as Nowaki built up his reputation as a doctor, his patients were strangers at the end of the day. Unless, they were sick kids who remained in the pediatrics ward, kids saw him as the nice doctor who made their appointments _fun._ None of those kids would run up to Nowaki on the street and call him _Wa-chan_ or _uncle._

Bubbling guilt built up in Hiroki's gut.

Nowaki's words cut through Hiroki's thoughts. "I don't know a thing about my parents. The matron guessed I was mixed because of my eyes. The fact I kept growing amplified this fact." He scoffed. "I used to get made fun of by the other kids because I was an orphan and a mixed child. As an adult, I overhear people commenting about how amazing it is that I am tall. How my eyes are my best feature. It's ridiculous to me."

Hiroki listened with attentive ears.

"It's funny," Nowaki turned his attention back to his booklet. "I found myself hating my eyes and my stature. I never saw what was so interesting about them. Sure, my eyes were pretty, but I'm sure I was abandoned because of them."

Hiroki nodded his head. "I get it. You try to convince yourself that the words were from the naivete of kids. They don't know any better. Yet, it's the adults that fill their heads up such nonsense. You can forgive kids, but you can never forget their words."

Nowaki's eyes took a misty sheen as he kept his eyes down onto his paper. "Hiro-san?"

"Hmm?"

"Thank you for listening."

Hiroki scratched his nose. "You can always vent. You know that right?"

Nowaki nodded his head before he resumed his worksheet.

* * *

Hiroki's physical re connection with Akihiko brought on a semblance of awkwardness. He didn't know what to say to his old friend as an _open_ and _carefree_ Akihiko pulled him into a hug. Hiroki returned the hug with a tenseness that brought a laugh out of Akihiko. Before their one night stand, Akihiko embraced him _without_ issue. After years of friendship, Akihiko showed western gestures like hugging and kissing his cheek. The kissing the cheek part happened during real drunken hang outs.

Considering Takahiro grew accustomed Akihiko's moods, he didn't question the out of the norm affectionate man. Hiroki knew better than to brush it aside as _foreign customs._ Akihiko went beyond snuggling against Takahiro despite the looming reality of a _permanent_ relationship with his female co-worker.

Hiroki learned to keep his mouth shut on the Takahiro, Manami, and Akihiko love triangle. The one time he said something, Akihiko snapped at him to keep out of his business. Hiroki remembered the heart dropping fury of having his crush yell at him for another man. The fight lasted a month.

At some point, Akihiko entered into denial and released his emotions through his boys love novels. Akihiko's fantasies became a best seller, but Hiroki saw it as a coping mechanism for his never ending heartbreak.

Through stopping their almost friendship ending event, Akihiko remained the same man. The awkwardness came from Hiroki's end. The memories of that night _echoed_ through his mind.

There was no tense visit after ghosting Akihiko from the shame of their actions. Now, Akihiko visited him out of necessity in checking his novel.

Akhiko carded his fingers through Hiroki's hair. "I heard from your mother that you're finally calling them back."

Hiroki shrugged his shoulders. "I was being a little shit. Mom only wanted updates and I didn't give them."

"You got that right." Akihiko snickered. "You mom is an _angel._ Shame on you for making her worry. I had to be the one to tell her what you were doing."

Hiroki's face flushed red. He didn't know Akihiko kept his mother informed of his actions. "You told her about my dri-"

 _"Nope."_ Akihiko shook his head. "I wouldn't subject that poor woman to visuals of her son being a party animal."

Hiroki rolled his eyes. "I drink in _my apartment."_

"Eh, you're still drinking yourself into a stupor like a reckless university student."

Hiroki nudged Akihiko. "We need to get Takahiro to hang out with us. His kid brother can go an afternoon without his brother hovering over him. He needs guy time."

Akihiko's eyes sparkled at the mention of Takahiro. "We should." He handed Hiroki a manila envelope of his newest manuscript. "We just have to get through these weeks of homework and then, we'll go to my condo."

Hiroki said. "Good. Your place has enough room for us to crash." He looked over his shoulder. "I have to go back in. I'm tutoring a friend of mine with his homework."

Akhiko arched a brow. "You? _Tutoring?"_

Hiroki nodded his head. "He's going to study medicine." Akihiko cringed. "Yeah, he wanted me to check through his work and to help him in his essays."

"Since when are you friends with _other_ people?"

"I met him through some circumstances. I'll tell you some other time." Hiroki pulled Akihiko into a hug. "I really have to go back, Akihiko. I'll text you later, alright?"

Squeezing Hiroki tight in his arms, Akihiko chuckled. "You better not be drunk when I text you."

Hiroki laid his cheek against Akihiko's shoulder. "Nah. Nowaki leaves my house real late. Besides, I can control myself, _weirdo."_ He released Akihiko which gave him the hint to let him go. "This novel better not be boys love."

Akihiko's smirk made Hiroki punch him in the arm.

* * *

Hiroki cursed Nowaki for having that construction job.

The result of the heavy lifted showed in his abs and thick thighs.

Hiroki faked his bravado before tossing the manila envelope on his bed. "Sorry about taking so long." He resumed his seat and stretched his arms above his head.

Chuckling, Nowaki turned to him. "No worries. I managed to overhear the back and forth with your guest. Who was he anyway?"

"Akihiko is an old friend of mine. A _bothersome_ childhood friend." Hiroki snorted. "He can barely take care of himself yet he is going to graduate from law school in the next few years. What a joke. I'm the one struggling to push out perfect papers, but he does it without effort. _Jerk_."

Nowaki chuckled. "Hiro-san, you do well enough to keep in the top percentile. No need to underwhelm your accomplishments." He worried his lower lip as he looked down at his worksheets. "You're amazing. You have such a way of teaching where even _I_ keep the information in my head."

Hiroki's face warmed in shyness, making his scratch the side of his face with his finger. "T-Thanks. But, you're the one who is studying the material. You're doing all the hard work. I'm just showing you the best way to intake your booklets."

Nowaki beamed up at him. "You're just a great teacher."

Hiroki crouched beside Nowaki and checked his work. "You're on the right track on the formula. I suggest checking the example again."

Peering from the corner of his eyes, he saw Nowaki's face turning red from their closeness. He saw Nowaki's hands trembling and noted his stiff shoulders. When he made the move to look at his face, Nowaki resumed the easy going personality from before.

No wonder he didn't notice Nowaki fell in love with him. Nowaki kept his emotions to himself until he thought Akihiko would steal his future lover away. Hiroki found the idea ridiculous, but Nowaki told him snippets of his life in the orphanage. An orphan learned to keep his desires hidden so the other children were tended to first. He somewhat broke from such privacy, but he struggled in voicing what he wanted.

The talk of therapy would have solved their different issues, but their busy lives prevented this option. By the end of their relationship, they didn't talk long enough to attempt counseling.

"Other than that, your sciences are looking good. Almost one hundred percent."

"Y-Yeah." Nowaki stiffly nodded before he asked. "Thanks. Um...what were you going to make for dinner?"

Hiroki got back up on his feet. "Probably a curry rice. Just to let you know, I wasn't able to buy any meat. The markets were filled with housewives earlier today so I turned my head back home. I have tofu."

Nowaki reassured him. "I like tofu. Do you want me to help?"

"I can handle curry rice. I make it too many times to mess it up." Hiroki answered. "But, you can take a break and talk to me."

Nowaki looked at the kitchenette. "I'm too big to be in the same space as you."

"Just stand by the divider." Hiroki waved off his concerns before he went inside of the kitchen. "Unless, you want to get back to work."

Nowaki scrambled up on his feet and stood beside the divider. "I can stand!"

* * *

Another change happened.

Nowaki's confession didn't happen after Akihiko checked up on him. In fact, Nowaki appeared amused when Hiroki returned from his back and forth with Akihiko. There was no discussion on Akihiko's closeness to him. They discussed Nowaki's work and then went along to make dinner.

In the old past, Nowaki covered his eyes and pulled him back into the apartment. Afterwards, the confession happened and they fucked on his mattress. The sudden change in their relationship didn't deter Nowaki from his studies. In fact, Nowaki dove into keeping his grades up.

Hiroki remembered Nowaki confessing that he wanted to show his ability to succeed. Nowaki wanted to showcase how he persevered due to hard work and perseverance. For Hiroki to not be embarrassed to have Nowaki at his side. Which was interesting because Hiroki feared Nowaki would grow to dislike him and leave him for a more warm and open person.

Both of them were a mess.

When Nowaki left, he collected his booklets and carried out the extra food in his hands. Hiroki made sure to make a large portion curry and rice. This way, Nowaki would have something extra for his lunch. Before Nowaki tried saying no, Hiroki slammed it into Nowaki's chest and glared at him to accept.

Nowaki didn't have a choice and accepted it with a sheepish smile. "Hiro-san, I don't really need a lunch. I get food for free at my day job."

"Don't care." Without thinking, Hiroki pinched Nowaki's cheek. "You're not eating shit food on my watch. Eat it for dinner if you want your free food so bad. Now go on, you're going to sleep when you get home."

Instead of being mad, Nowaki chuckled. "Okay, dear."

Hiroki's heart flipped when he heard the endearment. As he went through his internal panic, he managed to catch Nowaki yell goodbye before running out the door.

* * *

A week later, Nowaki _voiced_ his confession.

The moment Nowaki finished his love confession, Hiroki turned away from him. His heart slammed against his chest at hearing the words he _longed_ to hear. The sound of Nowaki calling him _dear_ made him pause for a while after he left. Hearing Nowaki tell him that he _loved_ him, caused his eyes to water.

Instead of denying Nowaki's confession, Hiroki breathed through his nose and gave a confession of his own. "I-I feel the same." Moments later, Nowaki's arms wrapped around him.

Nowaki held onto him tight. Nowaki's nose was buried in Hiroki's neck while he leaned back. Hiroki relished in having Nowaki's body against his own. To have Nowaki's strong arms hold his body up without _any_ effort. He swallowed the lump in his throat and let out a shaky breath. He missed the warmness of Nowaki's body during those cold lonely nights.

Nowaki pressed a kiss against Hiroki's neck. Hiroki jumped in place as Nowaki began peppering his skin with kisses. Arching his neck to the side, Nowaki nibbled and licked different areas of his skin. Those large hands ran down Hiroki's chest and went underneath his shirt.

Turning around, Hiroki felt Nowaki's calloused hands rub against his back. He grew used to Nowaki's rough hands that smooth hands didn't arouse him anymore.

grabbed Nowaki's shirt and yanked him down to kiss him. Nowaki eagerly pawed at him while Hiroki guided him back toward his bed. He made sure to break his kiss to look behind him. Once they got close enough, Hiroki fell back onto his bed and took Nowaki along with him. They continued on kissing as Nowaki caressed Hiroki's body.

When Nowaki ground his lower half against Hiroki, Hiroki's eyes snapped open. He broke from his lustful fog and placed his hand against Nowaki's mouth.

Nowaki blinked down in confusion. "Hiro-san?"

"We can continue this on a different day." Hiroki kept his hand around Nowaki's mouth. He craved to sleep with Nowaki, but Hiroki wanted to mentally prepare himself to lose future Nowaki _forever._ "You work early tomorrow. Remember? Your brain needs _rest."_

"Yeah." Nowaki's voice muffled out.

Hiroki removed his hand from Nowaki's mouth and snarked. "Also, you need to wine and dine me first. I'm not fucking you after a love confession. I'm not an _easy_ lay."

Nowaki's face went bright red as he hid his face into Hiroki's chest. "I'm sorry. I wasn't- I didn't mean to imply-"

The previous horny mood _evaporated._

Hiroki gulped before running his fingers through Nowaki's hair. "I get it. We're both high strung from all this studying. We need a _release._ Although, I'm not giving into these desires right now. You can wait right?"

"I can wait." Nowaki lifted his head up and his face remained red. "O-Okay. Um...do you want to go on a date?"

Hiroki accepted without hesitation. "Sure."

Nowaki burrowed his face into Hiroki's neck and stayed on top of him. Although, he made sure not to place his whole weight onto him. He didn't want Hiroki to push him off of him anytime soon.

Hiroki resisted the urge to wrap his legs around Nowaki's waist. He kept on running his fingers through Nowaki's hair and overheard him muttering his disbelief. He relished in Nowaki's warm body before Nowaki reluctantly got off to go home.

* * *

Hiroki caved four months later.

He dreamed of old memories. Memories of Nowaki's large hands gripping his hips, his frame pinning him to the bed, the grunting in his ear, his _smell._ The sounds of Nowaki lavishing him with words of love echoed in his mind. Depending on Nowaki's mood, he marked his inner thighs as a sign of possession. Hiroki didn't mind. He preferred to have these secret marks than to hide bruises on his neck. The one time Nowaki forgot and bit his neck, he wore a scarf. Lucky for him, it was winter and no one thought it odd.

For multiple days, Hiroki woke up to help himself into completion. With his boxers and hands sticky with cum, he laid in his bed as he panted out loud. Turning his head to the side, he moved his free hand and touched the cold sheets. He missed Nowaki's presence in his bed. Nowaki exuded warmth that he tended to sleep in boxers or pajama pants. This gave him the chance to cuddle against the man on cold nights and tangle their legs together.

Their best conversations happened when they were almost asleep. Either one of them brought up a topic and they went on tangents. Other times, they planned a day off or a vacation.

He missed those simple nights.

Hiroki decided to fuck Nowaki on a Friday night. They didn't have classes and Nowaki didn't work until Saturday afternoon. Best to leave the guy with a nice send off before he returned home after their date. Hiroki insisted for a _indoor_ date. He didn't feel up to leaving his apartment for food when Nowaki insisted on cooking the meal himself.

Before Nowaki arrived for their indoor date, Hiroki washed every inch of himself and prepared himself with his fingers. He added another finger when he relaxed himself enough to stretch himself. Mentally, he had not slept with Nowaki for almost two years before they broke up. At twenty-two, he originally slept with Akihiko, but having prevented this moment, it was a one night stand with an acquaintance. This was half a year ago before his classes resumed again.

Once he finished his shower, he wore a simple v neck shirt and dark slacks. He brushed his hair to the side before he deemed it acceptable. A slight spritz of cologne, Nowaki wasn't the sort to enjoy an overly fragrance man.

Nowaki showed up to the apartment with a dimpled smile, dressed in a buttoned up shirt and dark jeans. "Hiro-san!" The plastic bag crinkled as he bent down and kissed Hiroki. Hiroki reached his arms around Nowaki and ruffled the back of his hair. "I made the food at my house."

Hiroki kissed him again. "Breaded pork?"

Nowaki chuckled into his lips. "Breaded pork with all the sides."

Hiroki released Nowaki to let him into his apartment. He took the plastic bag full of boxed food as Nowaki kicked off his shoes and placed them in the show cabinet. Nowaki closed the door and trailed behind Hiroki into the kitchen. Together they plated the food and grabbed bottles of iced tea before they sat down at the low rise table.

When they finished dinner, they started making out. It didn't take long for the gentle kisses to turn passionate and heated.

Leaving the dirty dishes on the table, they exchanged kisses while going to the bed. As Nowaki shuffled his hands underneath Hiroki's shirt, Hiroki removed his shirt and tossed it aside.

Nowaki paused in kissing Hiroki to mutter. "You want to?"

"Yeah." Hiroki grabbed the bottom of Nowaki's shirt and pushed it up.

"Are you sure?" Nowaki asked before Hiroki kissed him again.

Hiroki nodded his head. "Nowaki, I want you to _fuck me_."

Nowaki wasted no time in taking off his shirt and attaching his lips onto Hiroki's neck. Nibbling and licking different areas of Hiroki's neck, he made sure to pay attention to Hiroki's moans.

They pawed at each other and struggled to remove their pants and boxers. Once they managed remove the rest of their clothing, Hiroki dropped onto his bed and dragged Nowaki on top of him. The moment their skin touched, Hiroki shivered in anticipation. He missed having Nowaki on top of him, casting his warmth all over him. Their bare cocks brushed against each other causing their to groan out loud.

Hiroki's hands went to Nowaki's hair, tugging it to induce his _growl._ A deep guttural growl that caused a bolt of arousal to go through Hiroki. An old kink Hiroki found out about during a random night they had sex. He loved _exploiting_ it.

Nowaki paused in embarrassment over his reaction. Hiroki reassured him before kissing him and pulling his hair _again._ Nowaki couldn't help the groan from escaping his lips while he ground his hips against Hiroki's hips.

Before Nowaki suggested that Hiroki got on his knees, Hiroki placed a hand on Nowaki's chest. "I want to see you, Nowaki."

Nowaki's face went bright red. "Okay."

Hiroki arched a brow at Nowaki's nervousness. He remembered clumsy hands and eager thrusting during their first time. Typical frenzy of lust that pushed them through the act. Although, Hiroki lost himself in his thoughts at the time to find Nowaki's positioning odd. Hiroki preferred missionary or riding to look at Nowaki's face.

Laying back, Hiroki grabbed the bottle of lube he placed near his bed and a condom.

Nowaki was so taken aback that he laughed. "You planned this?"

Hiroki smirked up at Nowaki. "Hell yes."

Any apparent nervousness left Nowaki's body as he took the bottle and uncapped it. He smothered his fingers with lube before he pressed one finger inside of Hiroki. Sharing small kisses with Hiroki, Nowaki added more fingers when Hiroki told him to add more. Taking his fingers out of Hiroki, he lubed up his cock and pushed it inside.

Hiroki kept his hands on Nowaki's shoulders as Nowaki sheathed himself inside. Tears prickled his eyes. He _reconnected_ with Nowaki. They were _one_ again. A tear escaped his eyes, which Nowaki mistook for pain.

"I'm fine," Hiroki caressed Nowaki's face.

Nowaki nodded his head before he began a tentative pace.

Hiroki guided Nowaki's hips with his legs. "Don't just jam your dick in me, I need swaying." Nowaki tested it out with a slow thrust as Hiroki whimpered. "L-Like that- You're doing good."

His encouragement caused Nowaki to let out a ragged sigh as he gripped his hips. Nowaki rolled his hips, grazing Hiroki's sweet spot. Hiroki's choked moan encouraged him to set up a rhythm.

Hiroki slept well that night.

* * *

Hiroki removed his clean laundry from the clothesline in a daze. Mechanical in handling the pins, a tinge of guilt built up inside of him for having slept with another man. This Nowaki, fresh faced and young, was different than the mature doctor of his future. Nowaki's eagerness in gaining his approval reminded him of better days. A peek of the amazing lover who wanted nothing more than to unravel him into _bliss_.

His face warmed at the memory of teaching Nowaki how to have sex. He whispered encouraging words in his ear as Nowaki listened with rapture. Once he was far gone, Nowaki used his instincts to fuck him. He was decent, but it paled to the Nowaki of his future. He had grown accustomed to _his_ Nowaki's matter of fucking that the hesitant touches made this all real for him. _His_ Nowaki learned overtime how to please him in bed. He didn't automatically know everything about gay sex. Their first time was fast and desperate.

In his opinion, he suspected Nowaki researched online and went with the flow every single time they fucked. Imaging hNowaki rechecking his sources for a good experience made him chuckle. Although, it took a good amount of times before Nowaki developed his confidence in the bedroom.

Nothing beat hands on experience.

Hiroki shook his head. As much as he wanted to treasure his commitment to _his_ Nowaki, he held no ties to _future_ Kusama Nowaki. This current Nowaki didn't become worn out through his constant rejections or their lack of time keeping. Half the time, they avoided going home because they assumed the other wasn't home and they used their phones to let the other know they were not going home.

An alert made Hiroki pause. Taking his phone out of his pocket, Hiroki rolled his eyes at Akihiko's smug emoji over rescheduling their meet up for a night in with Nowaki. Ever since Akihiko found out about Nowaki, the man made sure to encourage his _budding_ relationship.

He was glad he stopped their friendship shaking event from happening.

* * *

When the time came for Nowaki to leave for America, Hiroki paid close attention on the café date. He didn't want a repeat of the original big fight. His lack of attention and Nowaki's continuing dialogue caused a _year_ long strain of tension. This time, Hiroki shared in Nowaki's excitement in having gotten accepted in such a competitive program.

In front of him, Nowaki wore the scarf his mother gifted him. A bright blue knitted scarf. After Hiroki told his parents about Nowaki, his mother sent him a pair of scarves. One for him and one for Nowaki. Hiroki wasn't surprised when Nowaki began wearing this scarf whenever he needed a scarf.

His father, on the other hand, spent an uncomfortable long time on the phone with Nowaki. Hiroki sat in the kitchen where he noted the gaps of silence and Nowaki piping up to speak. When the phone call finished, Nowaki laughed about coming to an understanding with his father-in-law.

Hiroki knew it meant that his father accepted Nowaki.

"Since you're going to America, there is no way you're leaving without us setting communication. I prefer phone calls, but international tends to bring up a big bill. I say email." Hiroki slurped his iced coffee and set it back down on the coaster.

Nowaki agreed with a big smile. "Of course, but I still want to send letters. If that's okay? I find those intimate and personal."

Hiroki nodded his head. "Yeah." A memory of a bag of letters falling onto the floor entered his mind. "Make sure you send those damn letters, Kusama. I won't have you wasting time on one just for you to let it sit on your desk."

Nowaki's face flushed as he chuckled. "No, no, I'll send them _every_ week."

"Or _every other_ week. I don't mind you forgetting in favor of studying." Hiroki reached out his hand and Nowaki grabbed it. "Remember, you _earned_ this program because you worked hard to get it. I just want you to do your best."

"I was taught by the best." Nowaki rubbed his thumb on Hiroki's knuckles. "I will not let you down."

"You won't."

* * *

The night before Nowaki left for America, Hiroki left _deep_ red lines on Nowaki's back. He wanted to leave a physical reminder of his presence before Nowaki left for America. He hoped Nowaki didn't feel uncomfortable during his long flight as a result.

As he laid back on the bed, Nowaki sucked on his chest to leave red marks. He spent enough time sucking and biting to where Hiroki knew they wouldn't heal for a while. Ever since he expressed neck hickeys as a _hard_ no, Nowaki jumped into marking up his chest and his thighs. Nowaki tended to exploit his thighs whenever he sucked his cock.

Not that he complained.

He did the same when he returned the favor.

They took their time in exploring their bodies. Almost revere in their caresses as the couple memorized one another's touch. After they finished, they began talking to one another. The post orgasm haze didn't cause them to knock out.

"Good luck." Hiroki ran his fingers through Nowaki's hair. "You're going to do great.."

Nowaki burrowed his face into Hiroki's chest. "I want to finish it fast so I can come back."

Hiroki knew Nowaki dove into his studies and somehow managed to finish a two year program in one. He asked Nowaki how he managed to do it, but Nowaki said it was through taking multiple lectures and managing a balance. Since, Nowaki didn't have a job, his entire focus went to studying. All his savings went to sustaining his life in America, giving him the chance to study.

"We'll see." Hiroki muttered into Nowaki's hair. "I don't want you to burn out on me."

Nowaki chuckled. "Yes, dear."

* * *

Nowaki called him with enthusiasm lacing his tone. **"You won't believe the interesting lectures I'm sitting through. It's a good thing I took all those jobs with tourists because I understand everything! Granted, I don't know the slang, but my new friends are kind enough to explain them to me."**

Laying down on his bed, Hiroki smiled through the phone call. He couldn't stop _smiling._ This was what they were missing in the old past. Simple communication to keep them connected to one another. This one aspect would have solved so _numerous_ issues in their relationship.

"That's good. Have you been to the tourists spots during your down time?"

**"Yup! I'm going to start sending you the pictures through email. I have been meaning to do it, but a sudden paper grabbed my attention away from taking the time to upload them to my laptop."**

"At least, you can tell people you went somewhere while in America."

 **"That's true."** Nowaki chuckled. **"Before I forget, I read the snippets you sent of your novel, Hiro-san."**

"You actually _read_ that thing?" Hiroki fought the urge to bury his face into his comforter. "It was a spur of the moment reediting of an old work. I didn't think it was that engaging."

Nowaki said. **"I found it engaging. It needs more polishing in the story line, but it is a great novel."**

Hiroki placed his phone on speaker and rolled onto his back. "Compared to other words, it's less. _..dramatic."_

 **"Still, you could try to send it to publishers."** Nowaki encouraged him. **"You never know, someone will want to snatch it up. I have seen way worse books get published and are being made into movies."**

Hiroki sighed. "I don't know...I have the means through Akihiko. He's getting the hang of balancing school with publishing. His connections are deep in the industry at this point." He worried his lower lip. "I might fail. Remember, I'm trying to become a professor."

 **"There's nothing wrong with having a backup. Who knows? You might make it as a writer."** Nowaki cheered him on, boosted up his confidence in pursuing this path. **"I'll support you in anyway possible. You're supporting me in becoming a doctor."**

Hiroki chuckled, "Your abilities in being a doctor are guaranteed. You're smart and good with kids." He rubbed the back of his neck as he leaned against the wall. "Alright, I'll do it. I won't tell you when it is finished though."

**"Eh?! Why?"**

Hiroki pushed aside his doubts in making it as a author. He didn't want to push Nowaki's good mood down. "I want it to be a surprise. Who knows? I might have a book deal when you come home."

* * *

Nowaki returned to Hiroki's apartment with sleep rattling his mind. Through heavy lidded eyes, he managed to travel through city traffic without tripping over his feet or getting off on the wrong station. The one trip plane ride to Japan caused him discomfort from lack of space and having forgotten his headphones in America. He tried sleeping through the noise, but putting a blanket over himself didn't help keep away the noise.

When he returned to Hiroki's apartment, he was going to rinse himself in the bath and then fall asleep in his boxers. He hoped he didn't sleep for too long. He wanted to prepare a quick dinner before Hiroki returned from his afternoon lectures.

He stumbled his way inside with a yawn while pulling his suitcase through the hallway. He shuffled off his jacket, which fell onto the floor. Groaning, he picked it back up before turning on the hallway light. He diverted into the bedroom and threw his jacket onto the bed before he collected some clothing from his suitcase. Going into the bathroom, he rinsed off the dirt from the last day in America and the flight to Japan.

After he finished, he hobbled over to the bed and jumped onto the mattress.

A bang caused him to let out a pained groan.

His head _throbbed_ from the sudden force of impact. Sitting up on the bed, he rubbed his forehead with a pout. Hiroki tended to leave books behind pillows or randomly underneath the comforter. He should have known better than to jump onto his bed without checking it first. Removing the pillow off the bed, he saw a book version of the story snippet that Hiroki sent him through email.

"Oh, Hiro-san." Nowaki picked up the book with a goofy smile. "You did it. _Wow._ You have a book." He rolled on his side and reread the pseudonym Hiroki told him he would use.

Nobuhiro Kanno.

* * *

Hiroki arrived home to mouthwatering smells.

Rushing inside, he turned to the right and saw Nowaki preparing beef stir fry. It took Hiroki a second to process the scene. The sight of Nowaki and smelling his cooking caused Hiroki to bolt to his side. He didn't expect Nowaki to arrive back to America without telling him. At least this time, Nowaki didn't sent a postcard after not speaking to him for a year.

Grabbing him from behind, Nowaki jumped in surprise and let out a laugh. "I see someone is hungry."

Hiroki proclaimed. "I'm back."

Nowaki turned to him with a loving smile. "Welcome back." He motioned to the pan of meat and vegetables sizzling on the stove. "I'm almost done with dinner. I wanted to do curry, but you're out of curry cubes and there's no potatoes."

"We can get those tomorrow morning." Hiroki hummed. "Thank for making dinner, I'm actually _starving."_ He lifted his forehead off of Nowaki's back. "When did you get here? I thought you were going to tell me when you arrived. I could have met you at the airport."

Nowaki turned off the stove before turning around and kissed Hiroki "A few hours ago. I knew you were going to be tired and I didn't want to bother you."

"It's no issue." Hiroki noted Nowaki's lack of tiredness. "Aren't you tired?"

"I managed to nap for a bit before I woke up and cleaned up around the books just fine." Hiroki pinched his sides. "Then, I thought to make dinner before I was hungry. The airplane food wasn't...good. And you were going to come back late from classes so I assumed..."

Hiroki accepted another kiss from Nowaki. "Thank you," He patted Nowaki's sides and frowned. "You...lost weight. I told you to keep yourself well fed. And you are supposed to become a doctor."

Nowaki shook his head in amusement. "A lot of late nights and missing dinner will do that to a man."

"A few good meals will fill you up." Hiroki declared. "Just let me go take a quick shower and I will eat dinner."

"Sounds good." Nowaki pressed one last kiss on top of Hiroki's head before Hiroki left the kitchen.

Hiroki paused at the threshold and looked toward Nowaki. "Welcome home, Nowaki."

Nowaki face broke into the biggest smile. "Thank you, Hiro-san."

Hiroki's heart skipped a beat and he turned to retreat into the bathroom.

* * *

Instead of continuing his professorship, Hiroki branched into continuing his writing endeavors.

After the success of his book, Hiroki's editor, Onodera Ritsu, set up a conference call for Hiroki to pitch another book. As Hiroki explained his newest book, a familiar thrill of excitement filled his spirit. He remembered having a dimmed feeling of excitement when he spoke about his favorite books. The dull reception of his students didn't deter him. These students _chose_ his class and needed to pay attention for their papers.

His old demon Kamijou reputation was something he used to revel in. At his older age, he found it ridiculous to take pride in such a moniker. He almost drove students away from the wonder of books because his lack of patience.

He would miss having a deep connection with Miyagi. Despite his joking nature, Hiroki grew accustomed to having Miyagi badger him at work. Beneath all the humor, Miyagi was an amazing mentor for literature and taught him so many things.

His resignation meant that he took himself out of the literature department's roster. A position that he managed to attain through numerous interviews and multiple professors vouching for his professionalism. He would have to reapply if he wanted to do this path ever again.

Images of his lackluster past future made him _firm_ in his decision.

He wanted to feel the _happiness_ of enjoying his books and the thrill of writing his newest creation.

The disappointment of losing his promotion made him somewhat bitter to being a professor. Although, this newer Hiroki could showcase a new version of his classes, Hiroki didn't want to go through it all again. Besides, his editor sent him constant references for his novel while setting up constant meet ups for inspiration talks.

He lucked out in finding a young man who loved books just as much as him.

Nowaki kissed Hiroki breathless at the news of Hiroki's career move.

Hiroki kissed Nowaki when Nowaki told him that he attained an internship at a great hospital.

Life was good.

* * *

"So..." Hiroki began. "Do you want to meet my parents in person?"

Nowaki beamed. "Yes! I want to meet your parents. I want to thank Fuyumi-san for giving me the scarf and gloves before I left for America." He checked the date on his phone. "I think I can squeeze an afternoon with them tomorrow. The hospital might call, but I make no promises that I will stay the whole time."

"They'll understand if you have to leave early." Hiroki smiled light. "Alright. I'll text my mom and let her know."

* * *

Hiroki watched from his seat on the couch as Nowaki listened to his mother talk about his childhood. There were moments were Nowaki burst into laughter before he gave Hiroki an apologetic look. Hiroki waved his concerns away as he observed Nowaki's easiness in bonding with his mother. His previous assumption of Nowaki being the person son-in-law were correct.

"I thought you would interject when your mother started with the childhood stories." Soshi slurped his tea as he watched the pair's animated conversation.

Hiroki shrugged his shoulders. "Meh...let her go at it. Mom has wanted her turn in embarrassing me since her brothers do the same to their daughters. I never introduced you two to a significant other, so this is my due. Besides, half of those stories were my fault anyway."

Impressed, Soshi nodded his head. "How mature of you, Hiroki."

They went into silence before Hiroki spoke up. "I knew he wouldn't have a hard time getting to know you guys."

"Hm?"

Hiroki looked at his father with a small smile. "He's not even trying to be fake. He's _that nice_ to people." He turned his attention back to his tea. "He's the sort of guy that anyone would want as a son-in-law."

Soshi snorted. "As a father, I will judge _anyone_ who enters into a relationship with you. You're my _only_ child. I have the right to intimidate him into trying his best to _impress me."_ His attention went to Nowaki and waited until they made eye contact before he glared at him. Nowaki blinked in astonishment before giving Soshi an amused smile.

Fuyumi turned to her husband with an arched brow. She gave him an unimpressed look before turning back to Nowaki.

Hiroki said. "Father, Nowaki told me you two developed an _understanding._ It's kind of too late to intimidate him."

Soshi shrugged his shoulders.

* * *

Bumping into Arina in the grocery store made Hiroki trip on his own two feet. Right beside him, Nowaki caught him before he fell onto the ground. Hiroki thanked his lover before turning his attention back to the petite young woman inspecting different produce in her hands. Her black hair was cut in a bob. She wore a light pink camisole with flower accents on the shoulders and a long light brown skirt.

Without the tacky fortune teller garb, Hiroki recognized Arina, the woman who helped him go back in time.

Nowaki inquired. "Hiro-san?"

Hiroki stammered. "I- sorry, Nowaki. I'll be right back." Rushing toward Arina, Nowaki followed right behind him.

Hiroki stopped close enough to where he didn't need to raise his voice to get her attention. Although, from the sight of her smile, it seemed she noticed him before he thought to speak to her. "Excuse me, Arina.."

Arina turned to him with a twinkle in her brown eyes. "Hiroki-san."

"Arina, I didn't expect to see you again." Flustered at the sight of her, Hiroki bowed, ignoring Nowaki's confused stare.

Arina bowed to him. "It's nice to see you, Hiroki-san!" She checked out Nowaki with an approving nod. "I see you secured your partner. _Excellent!"_

Hiroki's face went bright red. "Yeah. Everything is going great." He noticed the bare finger on her left hand and he inquired. "When is your boyfriend going to propose?"

Arina clasped her hands together with delight. "Minami is insistent on a onsen retreat. So, it will probably happen during that trip. He always has to make such a grand gesture out of everything and I can't help but feel blessed to have such a man in my life."

Hiroki snorted. "Nowaki knows better than to spring any _grand_ gesture on me." He peered at Nowaki with an amused smile. "I prefer _private_ affairs."

Arina arched a brow, " _Oh really?_ "

Hiroki avoided anymore talk of romantic gestures through motioning to Nowaki. "Arina, this is Nowaki. Nowaki, this is Arina." Hiroki introduced them. "She helped me out in a tough spot a few years ago. This was before we ever met. I didn't think I would ever bump into her again. After she helped me, she began traveling all over the place."

Nowaki smiled big before he bowed. "A pleasure to meet you, Arina-san. I'm Kusama Nowaki."

Arina set down her selected produce in her cart before she continued. "I'm happy to meet you." She looked between the both of them and beamed. "You two match each other so well. The connection is unreal."

Nowaki tilted his head to the side in confusion. "Pardon?"

She turned to Hiroki. "Everything will turn out well, Hiroki-san. You have nothing to worry about."

Letting out a sigh of relief, Hiroki nodded his head. "Thank you, Arina."

Arina excused herself. "I have to leave, but thank you for speaking to me, Hiroki-san. I wondered what happened after our encounter. I'm glad to see you so happy." She winked at Nowaki. "Kusama-san, take good care of him.""

 ** _The end._**


End file.
